Cohasset Town Hall project to move forward with caveats

Tuesday

Dec 5, 2017 at 5:51 PMDec 5, 2017 at 5:51 PM

Although Article 7 received a unanimous recommendation from several of the Town’s boards and committees over recent weeks -- including the Board of Selectmen, the Advisory Committee, and the Capital Budget Committee -- several concerns about the project were addressed Monday night.

By Abigail Adams aadams@wickedlocal.com

The conversation around renovations to the Cohasset Town Hall took center stage Monday night (Dec. 4) at the 2017 Special Town Meeting in front of the 190 voters who ultimately approved the $300,000 recommendation made by the Town Hall Renovation Committee (THRAC) to complete the schematics phase of the project.

THRAC recently decided to forgo their original request for $1,050,000 to complete the schematics, design, and bidding phases of the project in a compromise with several town officials who felt committing to the number would be a full commitment to the project.

Although Article 7 received a unanimous recommendation from several of the Town’s boards and committees over recent weeks -- including the Board of Selectmen, the Advisory Committee, and the Capital Budget Committee -- several concerns about the project were addressed Monday night.

According to Capital Budget Chair Sam Wakeman, the committee’s recommendation came under the condition that detailed alternatives are considered for the project prior to finalizing the schematics in an attempt to reduce the project cost as much as possible and that all alternatives including other possible sites be openly communicated.

Selectman Steve Gaumer had his own set of conditions for recommending the project to the Town. In addition to bringing THRAC under the auspices of the Board of Selectmen, Gaumer suggested the board immediately enter into a public discussion to set objectives for the project to be agreed upon by a super-majority of the board of selectmen (four of the five votes to pass).

Additionally, Gaumer said the project would be the second largest project the town will have ever taken on without outside assistance and voiced concern about potentially pushing away future needs to help fund this project.

But as THRAC member Francis Collins noted, this is not the first time the town would take on a project that would be considered one of the Town’s most expensive projects. Collins added that the building, including the 1980’s addition, doesn’t meet today’s needs and that renovations would be like “putting lipstick on a pig.”

“We can’t keep fooling around,” he said. “It needs to be done.”

The Community Preservation Committee, chaired by Russell Bonetti, also voted overwhelmingly (7-1) to recommend the approval the project. Bonetti said the committee not only has the ability to bond their portion of the project, but could also help access other monies to help reduce the final price tag on the project. Bonetti called the work “long overdue.”

Yet some still remained cautious to throw their support behind the project.

Ralph Dormitzer of the Capital Budget Committee said he was tentative to vote to recommend the $300,000 as many of his financial concerns had yet to be resolved. Dormitzer noted that said many people in town find the $12.8 million cost estimate for the project “unacceptable” as the project would likely be funded by excluded debt due to the limits of Proposition 2 1/2, reminding voters that taking on the project would simply add to the Town’s current debt and future tax rates.

But as THRAC Vice Chair Mark Toomey pointed out, the committee has already begun to seek out alternate funding opportunities to help reduce the final cost through grants and other awards.

Some residents also voiced discomfort with the current design. Glenn Pratt of King Street suggested separating the two buildings, building all-new administrative space, and leaving the historic part of Town Hall to be leased out to a non-profit organization, which could then raise the funds to renovate that portion of the building into a cultural center.

Wayne Sawchuk of Beechwood Street largely agreed with Pratt’s proposal, adding that a previous design from the 2014 feasibility study that separated the two buildings would not only eliminate the need to renovate the offices in the historic portion of Town Hall but would also allow for more space in the new building.

Ultimately, the voters sided with THRAC and voted to approve of the $300,000 recommended by the committee. Board of Selectmen Chair Paul Schubert said approving this warrant article is a step forward for the project and hopes the project can maintain its current momentum.

“The one thing this plan has is flexibility in the design structure,” said Schubert. “In the next few months… we will be looking at the flexibility of the plans so that we can come up with a fine design, a fine plan for the spring.”

THRAC Chair Mary McGoldrick has said the committee plans to return to a future Town Meeting to ask for further approval for the project.

McGoldrick said THRAC considered 12 to 14 sites for the Town Hall before narrowing it down to three. Following a survey, the committee settled on the current site.